Tense is one of the most basics of English Language which one needs to form sentence according to time of action. The rules and regulations of each sentence tells you the proper use of general verbs and helping verbs according to the nature of time of work done, to be done or in process. For instance we did some work in past, such sentences may be attributed to past tense and such sentence are being applied upon by the rules of “Past tense”. Similarly if we have to do some work in future, the rules for formation of sentence for such work come under the umbrella of “Future Tense”. So tenses are divided into main three types i.e. Present, Past, and Future, each further divided into four types. To study and learn Tenses in details click here...
Showing posts with label tense. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tense. Show all posts
Wednesday, 27 July 2016
Tense and its kinds
Tense
Tense
Definition: An aspect of verb which tells the time of an action is called tense. Tenses have certain rules, according to which a sentence is made.
There are mainly three kinds of tenses.
There are mainly three kinds of tenses.
- Present tense
- Past tense
- Future tense
Each of present, past and future tense is further divided into four kinds.
- Simple (Indefinite)
- Continuous (progressive)
- Perfect
- Perfect Continuous (Perfect progressive)
In this way, there are 12 kinds of tense, which are explained in detail as below
Click on each below to study each tense
PRESENT TENSE
Present simple tense Present Continuous tense Present Perfect tense Present Perfect Continuous tense
PAST TENSE
FUTURE TENSE
Monday, 25 July 2016
Future Perfect Continuous tense
FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS
FORM
The future perfect continuous is composed of two elements
the future perfect of the verb "to be" (will have been) + the present participle of the main verb (base + ing)
the future perfect of the verb "to be" (will have been) + the present participle of the main verb (base + ing)
| Subject | + will have been | + present participle |
|---|---|---|
| He | will have been | playing. |
| I | will have been | playing. |
TO LIVE, FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS TENSE
| Affirmative | Negative | Interrogative | Negative Interrogative |
|---|---|---|---|
| I will have been living | I won't have been living | Will I have been living? | Won't I have been living? |
| You will have been living | You won't have been living | Will you have been living? | Won't you have been living? |
| He will have been living | He won't have been living | Will he have been living? | Won't he have been living? |
| We will have been living | We won't have been living | Will we have been living? | Won't we have been living? |
| They will have been living | They won't have been living | Will they have been living? | Won't they have been living? |
FUNCTION:
Like the future perfect simple, this form is used to project ourselves forward in time and to look back. It refers to events or actions in a time between now and some future time are unfinished. It is most often used with a time expression.
EXAMPLES
- I will have been waiting here for three hours by six o'clock.
- By 2001 I will have been living in London for sixteen years.
- When I finish this course, I will have been learning English for twenty years.
- Next year I will have been working here for four years.
- When I come at 6:00, will you have been practicing long?
Future Perfect tense
FUTURE PERFECT
The future perfect is composed of two elements
the simple future of the verb "to have" (will have) + the past participle of the main verb
the simple future of the verb "to have" (will have) + the past participle of the main verb
| Subject | + will have | + past participle of the main verb |
|---|---|---|
| He | will have | finished. |
| I | will have | finished. |
TO ARRIVE, FUTURE PERFECT TENSE
| Affirmative | Negative | Interrogative | Negative Interrogative |
|---|---|---|---|
| I will have arrived | I won't have arrived | Will I have arrived? | Won't I have arrived? |
| You will have arrived | You won't have arrived | Will you have arrived? | Won't you have arrived? |
| He will have arrived | He won't have arrived | Will he have arrived? | Won't he have arrived? |
| We will have arrived | We won't have arrived | Will we have arrived? | Won't we have arrived? |
| They will have arrived | They won't have arrived | Will they have arrived? | Won't they have arrived? |
FUNCTION:
The future perfect tense refers to a completed action in the future. When we use this tense we are projecting ourselves forward into the future and looking back at an action that will be completed some time later than now. It is most often used with a time expression.
EXAMPLES
- I will have been here for six months on June 23rd.
- By the time you read this I will have left.
- You will have finished your report by this time next week.
- Won't they have arrived by 5:00?
- Will you have eaten when I pick you up?
Future Continuous tense
Future Continuous tense
FORM:
The future continuous is made up of two elements:
the simple future of the verb 'to be' + the present participle (base+ing)
the simple future of the verb 'to be' + the present participle (base+ing)
| Subject | simple future of the verb 'to be' | present participle |
|---|---|---|
| You | will be | watching |
| I | will be | staying |
TO STAY, FUTURE CONTINUOUS
| Affirmative | Negative | Interrogative | Negative Interrogative |
|---|---|---|---|
| I will be staying. | I won't be staying. | Will I be staying? | Won't I be staying? |
| You will be staying. | You won't be staying. | Will you be staying? | Won't you be staying? |
| He will be staying. | He won't be staying. | Will he be staying? | Won't he be staying? |
| She will be staying. | She won't be staying. | Will she be staying? | Won't she be staying? |
| It will be staying. | It won't be staying. | Will it be staying? | Won't it be staying? |
| We will be staying. | We won't be staying. | Will we be staying? | Won't we be staying? |
| They will be staying. | They won't be staying. | Will they be staying? | Won't they be staying? |
FUNCTIONS:
The future continuous refers to an unfinished action or event that will be in progress at a time later than now. The future continuous is used for quite a few different purposes.
The future continuous can be used to project ourselves into the future.
EXAMPLES
- This time next week I will be sun-bathing in Bali.
- By Christmas I will be skiing like a pro.
- Just think, next Monday you will be working in your new job.
The future continuous can be used for predicting or guessing about future events.
EXAMPLES
- He'll be coming to the meeting, I expect.
- I guess you'll be feeling thirsty after working in the sun.
- You'll be missing the sunshine once you're back in England.
In the interrogative form, the future continuous can be used to ask politely for information about the future.
EXAMPLES
- Will you be bringing your friend to the pub tonight?
- Will Jim be coming with us?
- Will she be going to the party tonight?
- Will I be sleeping in this room?
The future continuous can be used to refer to continuous events that we expect to happen in the future.
EXAMPLES
- I'll be seeing Jim at the conference next week.
- When he is in Australia he will be staying with friends.
- I'll be eating with Jane this evening so I can tell her.
When combined with still, the future continuous refers to events that are already happening now and that we expect to continue some time into the future.
EXAMPLES
- In an hour I'll still be ironing my clothes.
- Tomorrow he'll still be suffering from his cold.
- Next year will she still be wearing a size six?
- Won't stock prices still be falling in the morning?
- Unfortunately, sea levels will still be rising in 20 years.
Simple Future tense
Simple Future tense
Uses:
- To predict a future event:
It will rain tomorrow. - With I or We, to express a spontaneous decision:
I'll pay for the tickets by credit card. - To express willingness: I'll do the washing-up.
He'll carry your bag for you. - In the negative form, to express unwillingness:
The baby won't eat his soup.
I won't leave until I've seen the manager! - With I in the interrogative form using "shall", to make an offer:
Shall I open the window? - With we in the interrogative form using "shall", to make a suggestion:
Shall we go to the cinema tonight? - With I in the interrogative form using "shall", to ask for advice or instructions:
What shall I tell the boss about this money? - With you, to give orders:
You will do exactly as I say. - With you in the interrogative form, to give an invitation:
Will you come to the dance with me?
Will you marry me?
Structure of sentence
Positive sentence:
• Subject + auxiliary verb + main verb (present participle) + object• Subject + will + (1st form of verb or base form +ing) + object
Examples.
- I will buy a computer tomorrow.
- They will come here.
Negative sentence:
• Subject + auxiliary verb+ not + main verb (present participle) + object• Subject + will +not + (1st form of verb or base form +ing) + object
To make negative sentence “not” is written after auxiliary verb in sentence.
Examples.
- I will not buy a computer tomorrow.
- They will not come here.
Interrogative sentence:
• Auxiliary verb + subject + main verb (present participle) + object• Will + subject + (1st form of verb or base form +ing) + object
Interrogative sentence starts with auxiliary verb “will”
Examples.
- Will I buy a computer tomorrow?
- Will they come here?
Past Perfect Continuous tense
Past Perfect continuous tense
It is
used to express a continued or ongoing action that started in past
and continued until sometime in past. (Remember, an ongoing action in past
which continued till some time in past) There will be a
time reference, such as “since 1980, for three hours etc” from which the
action had started. A sense of time reference is found in these sentences
which shows that action had started in past
and continued till some time in past. Such
time reference or sense of reference is the identity of
Present perfect continuous tense because it tells that action has started from
a particular time in past or for some time period. For example, “He had
been studying in this school since 2005”, so the it means that he had started
his education in this school in 2005 and he studied in this school till
sometime in past.
Note: If there is not
time reference or sense of time reference, then it is not Past
perfect continuous tense because there is no hint about the time of action when
it started in past or continued for some time period, so it
seems just an ongoing action in past which resembles “past Continuous tense”.
So the reference of time differentiates between Past perfect
continuous tense and past continuous tense.
Rules: An
auxiliary verb “had been” is used in sentence. 1st form of verb (base verb)
+ing (present participle) is used as main verb in sentence. “Since” or “for” is
used before the “time reference” in sentence. If the
time reference is exactly known such as 1995, 4 O’clock then “since”
is used before the time in sentence. If the time reference is not
exactly known such as three hours, six years, four days, then “for”
is used before the time in sentence. Time reference such as 3 hours
or 5 days is not exactly known because we don’t know that about which three
hours a day is told in sentence or about which 5 days in a month is told in
sentence. While the 1995 is exactly known time.
Structure of sentence:-
Positive Sentence:
• Subject
+ Auxiliary verb + main verb (Present participle) + Object +
Time reference
• Subject + had been + (1st form of verb or base verb + ing) + object +
Time reference
Examples.
- I had been waiting for him for one hour.
- She had been playing chess since 7 O’clock.
Negative
Sentence:
•
Subject +”Not” between the Auxiliary verbs + main verb
(present participle) + Object + Time reference
• Subject + had not been + (1st form of verb or base verb + ing) + object +
time reference
To make
negative sentence, the word “not” is added inside auxiliary verb, so it
becomes “had not been”.
Examples.
- I had not been
waiting for him for one hour.
- She had not been
playing chess since 7 O’clock.
Interrogative
Sentence:
•
Auxiliary verb+ Subject + Auxiliary verb + main verb (present participle) +
object + time reference
• Had + Subject + been + (1st form of verb or base verb+ing) + object +
time reference
Interrogative sentence starts with auxiliary verb “had” and auxiliary verb
“been” is used after subject in sentence.
Examples.
- Had
I been waiting for him for one hour?
- Had she been
playing chess 7 O’clock?
Past Perfect continuous tense
It is
used to express a continued or ongoing action that started in past
and continued until sometime in past. (Remember, an ongoing action in past
which continued till some time in past) There will be a
time reference, such as “since 1980, for three hours etc” from which the
action had started. A sense of time reference is found in these sentences
which shows that action had started in past
and continued till some time in past. Such
time reference or sense of reference is the identity of
Present perfect continuous tense because it tells that action has started from
a particular time in past or for some time period. For example, “He had
been studying in this school since 2005”, so the it means that he had started
his education in this school in 2005 and he studied in this school till
sometime in past.
Note: If there is not time reference or sense of time reference, then it is not Past perfect continuous tense because there is no hint about the time of action when it started in past or continued for some time period, so it seems just an ongoing action in past which resembles “past Continuous tense”. So the reference of time differentiates between Past perfect continuous tense and past continuous tense.
Rules: An
auxiliary verb “had been” is used in sentence. 1st form of verb (base verb)
+ing (present participle) is used as main verb in sentence. “Since” or “for” is
used before the “time reference” in sentence. If the
time reference is exactly known such as 1995, 4 O’clock then “since”
is used before the time in sentence. If the time reference is not
exactly known such as three hours, six years, four days, then “for”
is used before the time in sentence. Time reference such as 3 hours
or 5 days is not exactly known because we don’t know that about which three
hours a day is told in sentence or about which 5 days in a month is told in
sentence. While the 1995 is exactly known time.
Structure of sentence:-
Positive Sentence:
• Subject
+ Auxiliary verb + main verb (Present participle) + Object +
Time reference
• Subject + had been + (1st form of verb or base verb + ing) + object + Time reference
• Subject + had been + (1st form of verb or base verb + ing) + object + Time reference
Examples.
- I had been waiting for him for one hour.
- She had been playing chess since 7 O’clock.
Negative
Sentence:
•
Subject +”Not” between the Auxiliary verbs + main verb
(present participle) + Object + Time reference
• Subject + had not been + (1st form of verb or base verb + ing) + object + time reference
• Subject + had not been + (1st form of verb or base verb + ing) + object + time reference
To make
negative sentence, the word “not” is added inside auxiliary verb, so it
becomes “had not been”.
Examples.
- I had not been waiting for him for one hour.
- She had not been playing chess since 7 O’clock.
•
Auxiliary verb+ Subject + Auxiliary verb + main verb (present participle) +
object + time reference
• Had + Subject + been + (1st form of verb or base verb+ing) + object + time reference
Interrogative sentence starts with auxiliary verb “had” and auxiliary verb “been” is used after subject in sentence.
Examples.
• Had + Subject + been + (1st form of verb or base verb+ing) + object + time reference
Interrogative sentence starts with auxiliary verb “had” and auxiliary verb “been” is used after subject in sentence.
Examples.
- Had I been waiting for him for one hour?
- Had she been playing chess 7 O’clock?
Past Perfect tense
Past
Perfect tense
Use:
The past perfect is used in the same way as
the present perfect, but it refers to a time in the past, not the present.
- for something that
started in the past and continued up to a given time in the past:
- When George died he and Anne had been
married for nearly fifty years.
- She didn’t want to move. She had lived in Liverpool all her
life.
- We normally use the past perfect continuous for
this:
- She didn’t want to move. She had been
living in Liverpool all her life.
- Everything was wet. It had been raining for hours.
- for something we had
done several times up to a point in the past and continued to
do after that point:
- He was a wonderful guitarist. He had
been playing ever since he was a teenager.
- He had written three books and he was working on another one.
- I had been watching the programme every week, but I missed the
last episode.
- We often use a clause with since to
show when something started in the past:
- They had been staying with us since the
previous week.
- I was sorry when the factory closed. I had worked there since I
left school.
- I had been watching that programme every week since it
started, but I missed the last episode.
- when we are
reporting our experience and including up to the (then) present:
- My eighteenth birthday was the worst day I had
ever had.
- I was pleased to meet George. I hadn’t met him before, even though I had met his wife several times.
- for something that happened
in the past but is important at the time of reporting:
- I couldn’t get into the house. I had
lost my keys.
- Teresa wasn’t at home. She had gone shopping.
- We use the past perfect to talk about the past
in conditions, hypotheses and wishes:
- I would have helped him if he
had asked.
- It was very dangerous. What if you had got lost?
- I wish I hadn’t spent so much money last month.
Structure
of sentence
Positive sentence:
•
Subject + auxiliary verb + main verb (past participle) + object
• Subject + had + 3rd form of
verb or past participle + object
Examples.
- He
had taken the exam last year.
- A thief had stolen my watch.
Negative sentence:
•
Subject + auxiliary verb + NOT + main verb (past participle) + object
• Subject + had + not + 3rd form
of verb or past participle + object
“Not” is written after auxiliary verb in negative sentence.
Examples.
- He had not
taken the exam last year.
- A thief had not stolen my watch.
Interrogative sentence:
•
Auxiliary verb + subject + main verb (past participle) + object
• Had + subject + 3rd form of verb or
past participle + object
Interrogative sentence starts with auxiliary verb
“had”
Examples.
- Had he taken the exam last year?
- Had a thief
stolen my watch?
Past Perfect tense
Use:
The past perfect is used in the same way as
the present perfect, but it refers to a time in the past, not the present.
We use the past perfect tense:
- for something that started in the past and continued up to a given time in the past:
- When George died he and Anne had been married for nearly fifty years.
- She didn’t want to move. She had lived in Liverpool all her life.
- We normally use the past perfect continuous for this:
- She didn’t want to move. She had been living in Liverpool all her life.
- Everything was wet. It had been raining for hours.
- for something we had done several times up to a point in the past and continued to do after that point:
- He was a wonderful guitarist. He had been playing ever since he was a teenager.
- He had written three books and he was working on another one.
- I had been watching the programme every week, but I missed the last episode.
- We often use a clause with since to show when something started in the past:
- They had been staying with us since the previous week.
- I was sorry when the factory closed. I had worked there since I left school.
- I had been watching that programme every week since it started, but I missed the last episode.
- when we are reporting our experience and including up to the (then) present:
- My eighteenth birthday was the worst day I had ever had.
- I was pleased to meet George. I hadn’t met him before, even though I had met his wife several times.
- for something that happened in the past but is important at the time of reporting:
- I couldn’t get into the house. I had lost my keys.
- Teresa wasn’t at home. She had gone shopping.
- We use the past perfect to talk about the past in conditions, hypotheses and wishes:
- I would have helped him if he had asked.
- It was very dangerous. What if you had got lost?
- I wish I hadn’t spent so much money last month.
Structure of sentence
Positive sentence:
• Subject + auxiliary verb + main verb (past participle) + object
• Subject + had + 3rd form of verb or past participle + object
Examples.
- He had taken the exam last year.
- A thief had stolen my watch.
Negative sentence:
• Subject + auxiliary verb + NOT + main verb (past participle) + object
• Subject + had + not + 3rd form of verb or past participle + object
“Not” is written after auxiliary verb in negative sentence.
Examples.
- He had not taken the exam last year.
- A thief had not stolen my watch.
Interrogative sentence:
• Auxiliary verb + subject + main verb (past participle) + object
• Had + subject + 3rd form of verb or past participle + object
Interrogative sentence starts with auxiliary verb “had”
Examples.
- Had he taken the exam last year?
- Had a thief stolen my watch?
